1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an axial flow agricultural combine having an axial flow rotor housing having a concentric threshing section and an eccentric separating section relative to an axial flow rotor housed therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Case IH of Racine, Wis. and New Holland, of New Holland, Penn. currently market axial flow combines. The Case IH combine is fitted with a single rotor coaxially located in a substantially cylindrical rotor housing. The rotor housing has threshing and separating sections. The New Holland combine uses two side-by-side axially aligned parallel rotors. Each rotor is housed in a substantially cylindrical rotor housing. Each rotor housing is provided with threshing and separating sections. As with the Case combine the rotor housing of the New Holland combines are concentrically arranged about the central longitudinal axis of the rotors.
The assignee of the present patent application has developed and marketed a hybrid combine having a conventional transverse threshing cylinder and an axial flow separating rotor. This hybrid system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,279. The axial flow separator unit disclosed in this patent comprises a cylindrical rotor housing having a bottom portion provided with a grate and a top portion provided with helical vanes for indexing the crop material to the rear of the housing. The rotor has crop engaging assemblies that engage the crop located in the bottom portion of the housing and throws it upwardly against the helical vanes. The central longitudinal axis of the rotor is located below the central longitudinal axis of the housing making the rotor eccentric relative to the housing.